1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an improved method and system for registering applications with a user interface and in particular, to an improved method and system for registering applications with a graphic user interface. Still more particularly the present invention provides an improved method and system for batch registration of applications with a graphic user interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Presently, many graphic user interface platforms or primary applications exist which may be utilized to integrate other applications or programs with a graphic user interface. For example, Office Vision/2, a product of International Business Machines, Corporation, is a graphic user interface that may be utilized to organize, integrate, and operate applications and programs. New applications to be operated under Office Vision/2 and other graphic user interfaces, need to be registered with the graphic user interface (hereinafter "GUI") in order for the GUI to recognize the new applications. Presently, known GUI's offer a limited means for registering an application.
Utilizing known GUI's, a user may install new applications utilizing installation utilities provided with the applications. These installation programs typically alter files utilized by the GUI to let the GUI know that an application is present for utilization with the GUI. For example, utilizing a registration utility provided with a word processor application would allow the word processor application to be utilized with a GUI. In installing a new application, a user may be prompted to input various information such as the application's location, start up parameters, and default options. These registration utilities, however, are often inflexible and do not allow for the registration of additional information which a user may desire. In addition, these utilities often require input by the user in order to initialize the application for use with the GUI. Some installation utilities supplied with an application do not provide for registration to a GUI.
In such a case, the user must utilize a registration mechanism provided with the GUI in order for the GUI to recognize the application. Typically, the user must go through a number of steps to provide the necessary information about the application to the GUI. First, the user would activate the registration mechanism supplied with the GUI. Next, the user would be prompted to enter information needed by the GUI through a series of dialog boxes. For example, the user may be asked to supply information as to where the application is located, what icon is to be associated with application, what name is to be displayed in the GUI, and what parameters are to be associated with the application. Moreover, for any templates that might be utilized with the GUI, information must also be supplied to the GUI for each individual template. A template is utilized to create objects in a GUI.
A similar problem arises when the registration utility supplied with the application is not specifically tailored for registration of the application with a particular GUI that a user might wish to utilize. In such a case, where the application is not designed for implementation with a particular GUI, the user may still be able to register the new application with the GUI, utilizing the registration mechanism provided with the GUI. This approach, as described above, generally calls for continuous user input while the GUI is running, in order to register the application with the GUI. Furthermore, the registration process provided by GUI's are also limited in terms of what information may be registered with the GUI.
Additionally, an inconvenience arises when a manager of a data processing system, containing one or more networks of computers, wishes to register an application with a GUI on all or some of the computers connected together in the data processing system. The manager presently must physically register the new program with each GUI and must enter all the necessary data at each computer. This inconvenience increases when more than one new application needs to be registered with all the computers in the data processing system. Furthermore, as the number of computers present for registration increases and the number of applications to be registered increases, the probability that an error in data entry will occur also increases.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and system for registering applications with a GUI that would permit registration of increased amounts of information and a reduction in the number of errors that may occur during the registration of one or more applications to one or more GUI's.